Horatio Alger Award
The association annually bestows the Horatio Alger Award on outstanding Americans who exemplify dedication, purpose, and perseverance in their personal lives. Each award recipient becomes a lifetime Member of the association.
The annual award series was inaugurated in 1947 by Kenneth Beebe of the American Schools and Colleges Association. In 1946 he had given achievement awards to two New York City businessmen. In 1947, he renamed the award for Horatio Alger and made four awards to businessmen. Recipients in subsequent years have included business and government leaders, athletes, entertainment, innovators, entrepreneurs, healers, teachers, artists, and writers who have overcome adversity and achieved great success. Currently, approximately ten American awardees are announced each year. Additionally, each year since 2003 an International Horatio Alger Award has been presented to a citizen of another country who serves as a role model and embodies the ideals promoted by the association.
Awardees have included:
- Henry L. Aaron, baseball player
- Roger Ailes
- Buzz Aldrin, astronaut
- Wally Amos
- Walter Anderson
- Maya Angelou, poet
- Anousheh Ansari
- Philip Anschutz
- George L. Argyros
- Mary Kay Ash
- Anthony Athanas
- Bernard Baruch
- J. Robert Beyster
- Michael Bloomberg
- W. Michael Blumenthal
- Lou Brock
- Tom Brokaw
- Art Buchwald
- Pearl S. Buck, author
- Dean Buntrock
- Carol Burnett
- Norman Brinker
- Herman Cain, former CEO of Godfather's Pizza and 2012 Republican presidential candidate
- Chester Carlson
- Ben Carson
- Johnny Cash, country musician
- S. Truett Cathy
- Jim Clayton
- Doris K. Christopher
- Mary Higgins Clark
- John B. Connally
- Jenny Craig (entrepreneur)
- Michael E. DeBakey, surgeon
- Richard DeVos
- Leonardo DiCaprio, actor
- Lou Dobbs
- Bob Dole, U.S. Senator
- Allen B. DuMont
- Dwight Eisenhower, U.S. Army General and U.S. President
- Milton S. Eisenhower
- Joyce C. Hall, founder of Hallmark
- William Farley, businessman
- Bob Farrell, motivational speaker and founder of Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour
- Ruth Fertel
- Gerald R. Ford, U.S. Congressman and President
- George Foreman
- David Foster
- Tommy Franks, U.S. Army General
- Allen Gellman
- Billy Graham
- Phil Gramm
- Wayne Gretzky, hockey player
- Duane Hagadone, businessman
- Chuck Hagel, U.S. Senator
- Mark Victor Hansen
- Paul Harvey
- Rick Hendrick
- Willie Herenton
- Walter J. Hickel
- Conrad N. Hilton
- Joseph H. Hirshhorn
- Herbert Hoover, U.S. President
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- Bob Hope, comedian
- H. Wayne Huizenga
- Daniel K. Inouye
- Waylon Jennings, musician
- Rafer L. Johnson
- James Earl Jones, actor
- Quincy Jones
- Delores M. Kesler
- Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald's
- Jack LaLanne
- Tom Landry, NFL coach (Dallas Cowboys)
- Art Linkletter
- Ruth B. Love
- Clare Boothe Luce
- Allen Ludden
- Rod McKuen
- Ed McMahon
- Joseph Neubauer
- Jean Nidetch
- Paul Anthony Novelly
- Katherine D. Ortega
- Norman Vincent Peale
- Ruth Stafford Peale
- H. Ross Perot
- Roger Tory Peterson
- T. Boone Pickens
- Colin L. Powell, U.S. Army General and U.S. Secretary of State
- Ronald Reagan, U.S. President
- Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Secretary of State
- Kenny Rogers
- John W. Rollins
- O. Wayne Rollins, founder of Rollins Inc. and brother of John W. Rollins; they are only brothers to be awarded based on separate achievements
- Harlan Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken
- George D. Sax
- Ray Scott
- Walter Scott, Jr.
- Tom Selleck, actor
- Rose Cook Small, businesswoman
- David L. Sokol
- Willie Stargell, baseball player
- Roger T. Staubach
- Edward Durell Stone
- W. Clement Stone
- Anthony J. Terlato
- Clarence Thomas, U.S. Supreme Court Justice
- Danny Thomas
- Dave Thomas
- Lowell Thomas
- Tommy G. Thompson, Governor
- Dennis R. Washington
- Denzel Washington
- Lawrence Welk
- Carl H. Westcott
- Frederic Whitaker
- Oprah Winfrey
- Minoru Yamasaki, architect
- Chuck Yeager
- Zachary Fisher
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